Flex Your Minivan Muscle, Ford!
There are two contradictory reports out of FoMoCo today on the minivan replacement in the blue oval's lineup. Everyone appears to be in agreement that it'll be called the Flex rather than the Fairlane, its conceptual name. And that's good because whenever we think "Fairlane" we think "Adventures of," and that's no good thing if Ford wants families to be buying this thing. But we digress. The contradiction appears to be on something wholly more important — what the doors will look like. We kid you not, there are two contradictory reports, one from John Stoll of Dow Jones who claims
"The Flex carries three rows of seats and unique side doors that open from the middle – in opposite directions, much like French doors do – and are intended to be a modern alternative to the sliding door popularized by the minivan."
Sounds pretty cool if you ask us, but although Stoll's known for scoop, there's a bigger dog in the game of breaking news out of FoMoCo — and that's Bryce Hoffman from the Detroit News. If there's one man who's got the investigative skills to pay the bills, it'd be Bryce. He's the only reporter...
...at the News with any kind of sources in Dearborn, and his editors are said to kow-tow regularly to his investigative wiles. And so what's Bryce saying? He's claiming the Flex
"...will not offer the unique clamshell side doors featured on the prototype."
Sorry John, we want to believe your claims of a clam-shell door design, but we can't argue against Bryce's unparalleled connections in Dearborn. He's got connections so strong they make Ray Day and his minions in the Glass House literally helpless to defend themselves. He makes the PR leadership over there look hapless and ineffective. He's just that good. Sorry John, but despite your obvious skills in the biz, you'll never be half the muckraker of Bryce.
Ford To Debut Flex Crossover, Aiming To Redefine Minivan [CNN]
Ford names new crossover the Flex [Detroit News]
Related:
Spy Photos: Ford Fairlane Mule Spotted?; The Adventures Of The Ford Fairlane Continue: No To Detroit, Yes To Design, No To Zuzu Petals [internal]